I wish I could give you better news. I wish I could tell you that success was easy. I wish I could tell you just one call, one submission, one request, one presentation, one audition, one practice or one effort is all that’s required to experience abundant and exponential success. I think you knew it already, but it’s not. You already knew it, didn’t you? If we know this, why do we give up on things so readily? Why do we stop trying and judge our results too early? Why don’t we commit to a strategy until we are successful, even if it takes longer that we want?
I have a beautiful little dog, named Joia. She doesn’t understand or accept the word no. It was 2am the other night and Laura and I were doing what we generally do at that time, sleeping! Joia wanted to go outside to wee and explore. When she wants to get our attention, she snorts. So, she started snorting, we both ignored it. She kept snorting and we kept ignoring, hoping she would give up and go back to sleep. No chance. After she realised the snorting wasn’t working, she started squeaking. She squeaked, we lay there hoping it would all just stop, but we didn’t count on the persistence of this little dog. After a while the squeaks turn to barks and it was then we realised she was not going to let up any time soon, until we got up for her that is. Laura got up, it was her turn, and she let the dog out to go and explore for a while. Soon Joia was happy, and we all went to sleep. She was getting lots of rejection, it took longer than she wanted, but she persisted with her strategy, and, it finally paid off.
Last year, and this year already, I have the wonderful experience of talking in many schools to teenagers about self-belief, success, and resilience. I enjoy it immensely and I know the students, and schools, get a lot out of it. Now, at the start of 2019, I speak in at least one or two schools per week. Just over 12-months earlier, I had never spoken in a school before, except as a student and, for a very brief time, a teacher. So how did it come about? I can tell you, it wasn’t luck, contacts, because I played football for St Kilda or because I am an author, as many people seem to think. It’s because I developed a strategy and stuck to it, no matter how long it took.
After the release of my book, Kicking On, the publishers, for some reason, got me a speaking gig at a primary school. I really don’t know why, because the language and content of the book is not directed at that level. I did it anyway, I had fun, I sold no books and I left. As I was driving home, I had an idea. I thought about schools, and whilst primary age children were not the target for the book, secondary age teenagers absolutely were. So, I made a decision that day that I would develop a strategy to start speaking to teenagers in secondary schools.
Don’t judge the results too early.
I got home, I sat down, I switched my strategy-creating brain on, and I came up with a plan. This is the sophisticated plan I came up with;
Create a list of schools.
Ring five schools each day to find out who the appropriate person to speak to is.
Get an email address and then send an introductory email.
Follow up with a phone call to arrange a meeting, drop off a book and discuss coming into the school to speak.
Repeat steps one to four.
Pretty simple strategy, right? Not too complicated, not too sophisticated and I knew it would predictably give me the results I wanted, as long as I stuck to one simple principle. That principle was not, I’ll try it for a week and see how I go. That principle was not, I’ll make the calls if I feel like it. That principle was not, I’ll do it If I can find the time. That principle was not even, I’ll give it three months and see if I get results. That principle was one that most people will not subscribe to, that is to work the strategy until the strategy works, no matter how I feel or how long it takes.
I can tell you, I sent a lot of emails and left a lot of messages that went unanswered. I can also tell you, I heard the word no, many more times that I would have liked. I can tell you, I was told, ‘leave it with me and I’ll get back to you if we have a need,’ repeatedly. What I can also tell you, and what I’m most proud of, is that my success came not through luck, contacts, my scripts or my background. It came as a result of sticking to the strategy long enough for it to bear fruit. I just kept going when I had no results, when I doubted myself and when I felt like giving up.
Then, like magic, after a period of time, which felt like years, people started getting back to me, meetings started getting arranged and I started to get bookings. When that started happening, did I stop sending emails and making calls? No way, I started working harder and doing more. That is my magical secret of success. I developed a strategy and I stuck to it, and continue to stick to it today as I write this. I do the same five calls every single day of the school year. The weekly bookings I get, and the people who now call me to book me into their school, has nothing to do with luck, but everything to do with working the strategy with persistence.
So, we are now at the part of the blog when I ask, what about you? What are you working towards? What are you trying to achieve? What is the strategy you have created for yourself or has been suggested to you? Are you still working the strategy or have you given up because you have incorrectly assumed it doesn’t work? Is that wellness plan taking longer than you want, and so you’re already looking for something else? Are the calls you are making uncomfortable and not returning the results you want? Just what else isn’t happening fast enough that you are ready to throw in, or already have thrown in the towel. The biggest mistake people make is judging results too early.
You see, every call you make, step you take, word you write, email you send, sip of water you take, audio you listen to and every page of a book you read is planting a seed that will grow, on the condition that you continue to do it every day, no matter how you feel. You are right on track, even if you don’t feel like it, or, if the track seems to be leading nowhere. All paths lead somewhere as long as you keep going. Does a strategy sometimes need to be modified? Of course it does, but make no mistake about it, once you have the right strategy, it will work as long as you work it.
I was sitting at my computer thinking about what I want to write about this week, when I was notified about emails in my inbox. I looked, they were all junk, so I moved them into the junk folder. I then went to my junk folder to see it was full of lots of rubbish, so with one simple hit of a button, I deleted 100’s of junk mail. It felt great to have an empty junk folder. Like magic, this week’s blog topic came to me. How many of us are carrying around junk, when it’s so simple to hit the delete button?
I am a classic computer hoarder. I have stuff on my computer that’s well over ten years old, stuff I know I’ll never look at or use again. Often times, I wonder why my computer runs slow, takes a while to process things, occasionally freezes and sometimes shuts down. Well, my wonderful father-in-law, Paul, is my computer savior. He continually tells me it’s time to tidy things up, clear the junk and allow the computer to do what it can do so wonderfully well. Did you know that you and I are much like a computer? When our minds and hearts are full of outdated information, doubts, fears. Limiting beliefs and other junk, how do you think you are going to perform? Well, like my computer; slowly, inconsistently, occasionally freezing, and sometimes, or even permanently, shutting down!
Your computer, over time, picks up information, files, documents, bugs and viruses that will compromise and even debilitate its function. The same happens in life, and over time, we pick up information, opinions, criticisms, judgement, incorrect advice, bugs and viruses that, if left unchecked to pile up, will totally debilitate us, our day to day activities and our lives. Just as the performance of your computer is predictable based on the programs and junk, so to your performance and outcomes in life are predictable, based on what you keep stored in your head and heart. Is it time to start deleting?
I attended a funeral during the week, and, walked away absolutely inspired by a man who knew how to delete the junk. Denis was the father of a good friend of mine who passed away at the age of 84. What is unique about this extraordinary man is that he had a massive, life-altering heart attack more than 33 years earlier that, according to doctors, should have killed him. I remember the day very clearly, back in October 1985. I was a third year Phys Ed. Student and at the time I was holidaying on the Gold Coast with his son, Stuart, and a couple of other friends from college. We were 21, cheeky and having lots of fun! Stuart got the call from his mother, and, we took him straight to the airport to head home and be with his 51-year-old father, maybe, he feared, for the last time.
Doctors told the family, it was so serious a heart-attack, they should prepare themselves for the worst and that he probably wouldn’t make it through the night. They were told they should get a priest to come and do last rites. Well, Denis did make it through the night, and even though doctors told him he may not have long to live and that his life would be very different, Denis decided to delete that negative rubbish from his mind and replace it with empowering thoughts of life, love and healing. From that time, he had more heart attacks and even a heart transplant in 1999. Yet every time he had a health issue, and was told the bad news, he would delete the junk and focus on what he wanted, and the things that were important to him; his wife, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Delete and then replace.
Denis lived more than 33 years beyond many people’s educated expectations, and was around to love and inspire his family, simply because he chose to delete the junk and replace it with treasure. As I sat in that funeral, I listened to Denis’ two sons speak with love, respect and admiration for their father. I then listened to two of his granddaughters talk about him and the positive impact he had on their lives. Then, his four-year-old great grandson got helped onto a chair, stood in front of the microphone and said, ‘I love you papa. I miss you.’ Needless to say, I was, as were most of the people in the room, in tears. The lesson that Denis had instilled in his family, through his actions and attitudes, not, words, was to delete the negative and focus on the positive. I walked away from that funeral uplifted and inspired, and, grateful to have known Denis.
I hope you are inspired as much as me. I hope you are ready to start deleting the junk and then replacing it with gold. Have you been told at any stage of your life that you’re; no good, not intelligent enough, not talented enough, and, not the right person? If so, it’s junk, so, delete it. Yes, I said delete it. You can choose what you hold onto, what you delete and what you think. Delete it, and then replace it with; I am good enough, smart enough, talented enough and the right person for any success. Do you have health issues that you’re told you’ll never overcome, or you believe are too hard to change? If so, that should be sitting in your junk folder, so go now and hit delete. Replace it with the belief and thoughts that; you are in control of your health, you will do what you need to do, and that optimal health is your birthright.
Do you have low self-esteem, resentment towards someone for something they said or did, fear of rejection, doubts about your worthiness, stress, anxiety or any other limited thought, feeling or belief? Well, you need to know that it’s all junk and, if you hoard it on your human hard-drive, it will slow down and disable your human computer. Honestly, the solution is as simple as; deciding it is rubbish, hitting delete and starting to replace those negative thoughts, feelings and beliefs with ones that will empower and uplift you. It’s your choice, so please, for your own sake, choose to delete and replace.
This week’s blog is bittersweet. It was sad to attend a funeral and say goodbye to a very special man, but, it was a blessing to have known him, and to be inspired and touched by the life he lived, and, the people he influenced. As we head into the second month of 2019, it’s important that we don’t take our junk or baggage with us. How do you feel about deleting all the junk thinking and beliefs? When you delete, you create space on your hard-drive. With more space, you will think more clearly, and, you have more room to replace it with stuff that will empower and bless your life. Start deleting today!
As I launch my newest book, The Wellness Puzzle, I’m excited because I know, deep in my heart, it will change the lives of the people who read it, are open to the ideas it presents and act on the things that relate to them. I’ve had a strong belief for quite a while, and, it’s the main reason I wrote the book. I believe there is so much devastating sickness, disease, obesity, depression, allergies, mental health issues and all of the other conditions, in this current day, for one main reason. Now, I know people don’t want to be unhealthy, and I know people are more proactive now than ever. So the question is, why are we getting sicker, fatter and less healthy? I believe it’s because we are looking for the solutions in the wrong places. I have spoken about Paul in previous blogs. In 2018, Paul weighed 125kg, was on the verge of stroke, was on blood pressure and cholesterol medication, and, was told by his doctor he would never be healthy and would need to be on these medications forever. Obviously, he didn’t want to be unhealthy and he very much wanted to change. So, he tried other things and spoke to other people, but, was unable to achieve his goals. Why? Simple, he was looking for the answers in the wrong places. Now, these places are going to seem logical to you, but we have to look at the results we are getting to provide evidence that they are effective, or not.
Paul joined a gym, got a program and then was left, pretty much, to his own devises. He did the best he could, and, was able to lose a few kilograms, but couldn’t keep it off or see any significant improvement in his wellbeing. He asked other people, maybe not the right people, for their opinions, and, he got them. Opinions that is, not necessarily the right advice. He even asked his doctor, whom many would consider the right person to ask about improving wellbeing. Well, his doctor told him to lose weight – der – and not to worry because the cholesterol and blood pressure medication, he was on FOREVER, would help. His doctor didn’t tell him what the long-term impact and side-effects of these medications actually were, neither did his doctor tell him that, whilst on synthetic pharmaceuticals, optimal wellbeing was never going to be an option.
I know what I’m about to say may ruffle some feathers, but I want you to know the truth. I really do love doctors and I respect them for what they do, however, most of them are the wrong people to ask about creating optimal wellbeing. The gym was the wrong place for Paul to look, as were the random people he was asking to get their ideas. The other wrong places and solutions are; most lifestyle magazines, diet & weight loss companies, meal replacement shakes, diets, exercise equipment, and dare I say it, even some – not all – ‘health & wellbeing’ practitioners. Yes, I know, this is controversial.
Look no further, the answer is you.
The answer lies not in the food you are eating, or should be eating, or, the exercise you are doing, or should be doing, because you already know what to do. You already have the answers and hold the solutions for your own optimal wellbeing. I’ve asked it before and I’ll ask it again; you really know what you should and shouldn’t be doing, when it comes to your own health, don’t you? Yes, there are tips and ideas you will get from the right people, there are nutritional supplements needed and specific exercises required for you to move forward towards optimal wellbeing, But, none of these matter if you don’t; follow the plan, take the supplements or do the exercise. Right?
So, I know you’re asking, ‘So, where is the right place to look for optimal wellbeing?’ The answer is simple, in the six inches between your ears, and, five inches within your heart. The answer lies in your thinking, and, how your thoughts impact your feelings. From there, you will act on the things you already know, and, any answers you need will come to you. Let’s go back to Paul. He always had the answers and solutions inside of him, he just didn’t know it, nor did he know how to access them. That may be the same for you. Up until now, you are actually the problem, but from today onwards you can be the solution.
Paul had wanted to be healthier for a while before it happened. It was in his head, but not in his heart. The second it moved from his head to his heart, everything changed. For Paul, it was his family, and, particularly his grandchildren. Up until recently, they had never asked him to play active games with them because they knew he would say no or be unable to. He wanted to do many things with the people he cared about, but until recently couldn’t. Even just before Christmas 2018, when he had lost almost 35kg (equivalent to the meat you see him standing near in this picture), halved his blood pressure medication and was off Cholesterol medication, he thought he’d be on forever, he still had trouble verbalising what motivated him to take this journey.
He spoke with me at a meeting I was talking at, and I asked him, what prompted him to come and ask me for help. It was hard for him to verbalise it, but he didn’t need to because the tears in his eyes, when he spoke about his children and grandchildren, said it all. With that powerful emotion and strong desire, he was hungry (pardon the pun) for the right information and committed to do the things he knew he should be doing. The result for Paul, was that in a six-month period he was able to achieve what he never previously thought possible, and what the doctors had told him would never happen. All because he started looking for optimal wellbeing in the right places.
The wellbeing you have today and will have in the future, lies not in gyms, magazines, medical opinions, or other people’s opinions, but in your own mind. I love the word mindset, because with work, practice and focus you can set your mind to take you in any direction and achieve any outcome you desire. However, without deliberate focus, your mind will be set to take you in a direction you will one day regret. So, I encourage you to start spending deliberate time in the space that will give you everything you want, your brain. You get to choose your thoughts, your thoughts will help you create powerful emotions that will move you to positive actions, and, the actions will help you create habits that will lead you to optimal wellbeing.
The answers you need, and, the places to find them to be a happy, healthy and prosperous person, are right there for you. Stop blaming external circumstances for your problems and stop looking for other people for the answers. When you spend some time in your mind exploring what you really want, and then move into your heart to discover how it will feel, then things will change for you. From today onwards, make sure you spend time looking for optimal wellbeing, and success in life, in the right places. To get a copy of my newest book; click here.
Are you ready to change your life? If not, please pass this on to someone who is. If yes, great. When you look in the mirror, what do you see? When you think about your ability in different areas, what words do you use? When you consider the character traits you describe yourself with, what are they? When you think about the way you connect and communicate with people, how do you describe it? Now, the most important question; when you look at how you are, the life you lead and things you are achieving, how does it relate to the words you have used to to describe the different areas just I touched on? If the outcomes you’re getting are consistent with the labels you’re using, it may be time to change the labels
I was recently listening to a motivational speaker and teen mentor, named Skip, talk about an experience he had with a family he knew. It was a family of five; mum, dad and three boys, with the youngest one 10 years old. This young boy, as all the boys, had incredible potential and up until recent times had been easy going, doing well at school and in life. Over the previous couple of years, however, he was starting to struggle in school, his grades were dropping, his behavior was erratic, and he was starting to get into trouble at school, and, at home. Things were not good.
The family was obviously concerned, and asked Skip to come and help. When the young boy was at an after school detention, he had a conference with the rest of the family to see if he could get some answers before speaking to the boy himself. He asked questions to the family about what had been happening, if there had been some traumatic situations that may have affected the boy and if they had any ideas what the problem may be. They all looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders and said that they couldn’t think of anything.
Skip then asked, if there was any way they were interacting with the young boy, or, anything they were saying to him that might be affecting his behavior. At that moment, the two older brothers started looking a little uneasy. They looked at each other, and the penny had dropped. They then said to Skip, ‘We may know why, but we didn’t mean it.’ Skip asked, ‘What is it, what didn’t you mean?’ They replied, ‘It was just a joke, we didn’t mean to hurt him, we are sorry.’ Skip, now really interested to find out what they had been saying, asked again, ‘I understand you didn’t mean it, What did you do?’ One of the brothers admitted, ‘We have been calling him dummy!’ Skip then asked, ‘Why would you call your brother dummy?’ They went on to explain, ‘It first happened when he was much younger, when he did something silly. It was just a joke and the nickname kinda stuck and we have been calling him that ever since. We didn’t mean to hurt him.’ Skip looked at the family and said, ‘Okay, now we know the problem. He thinks he is dumb. It’s the label he has about himself. We have to do something about it now, or it will affect his whole life.
You are who you think you are.
You see, when the young boy was much younger, he didn’t know what ‘dummy’ meant, so he, like his brothers, thought it was funny. As he grew older, started going to school, he started to understand what the word actually meant. He thought to himself, ‘If I’m dumb, then it’s not much point trying.’ The result was, he put less effort into school work, started misbehaving, got low grades, was reprimanded more often and his self-esteem started to slide. This had spiralled to the point when Skip became involved. He was absolutely heading towards a miserable existence, all because of a simple erroneous label he believed about himself.
The family got together and started to tell him, help him, teach him and affirm to him that he was talented, strong, resilient, resourceful and capable of achieving anything he wanted. With these new labels being reinforced and strengthened every day, he started to believe them, and with that, everything changed for him. His attitude improved, his effort improved, his behavior improved and consequently his results improved. This all happened many years ago, and this young boy has grown into a very successful man who is now making a positive difference in the lives of many, because he now passionately understands the impact of the label’s we place on ourselves and on other people.
The question, as always, is about you, your life and the labels you are placing on yourself, or, have had placed on you. Do you call or have you ever called yourself a ‘procrastinator’? Do you call or have you ever called yourself ‘lazy’? Do you call or have you ever called yourself ‘undisciplined’? Do you call or have you ever called yourself ‘stupid’? Do you believe you never finish things, you are easily distracted, you have no will-power, you don’t know enough, or you just don’t have what it takes? Are these the labels, or are there other labels, you are placing on yourself? If so, can I ask you this; how’s it working for you?
Are you ready for things to change? Do you want different outcomes? Are you prepared to turn things around? If you answered yes, then the solution is simple; change the limiting and negative labels you are currently pinning on yourself. You see, the difference between ‘procrastinate’ and ‘pro-active’ is a just decision and action. You can do that, right? So, just change the label and take action to reinforce it. The difference between ‘stupid’ and ‘intelligent’ is just a decision to learn and then a commitment to acting on it. We can all do that. If, when people ask you how you are, you say ‘tired’, you will be tired, but, when you say you are feeling great, you will amazingly feel great. If you are ‘courageous’, you are more likely to show courage. If you are ‘efficient’, you are more likely to find effective ways to do things. If you are ‘confident’, you are more likely to speak up and try new things. Do you get what I’m saying?
I know, I know, it’s much easier to keep the negative labels and then use them to justify why you didn’t achieve what you wanted. But, honestly, is that what you want your life to look like? I’m sure, if you’re reading this sentence in this blog, then it’s not. So, the simplest thing you can do is to change the way you look at yourself and the things you say to yourself. I said simple, not easy. To help, find people who will support and encourage you, find books to read that will inspire you and listen to audios and seminars that will empower you. Most of all, rip off any label that states something you don’t want, and change it for something you do. Your life will change the moment you change your labels.
Two weeks into a new year, and it’s blatantly obvious that 2019 is going to go fast, maybe even faster than the last year if that’s at all possible. Without even realising what’s happening, we can easily end up being a spectator to other people’s success and achievements as we look back at another year and another wasted opportunity to move closer to living the life we desire. So then, the secret to not letting the year slip past and the key to making sure you maximise 2019 and achieve the things you have set for yourself is to, keeping hanging on to what you want, while people all around are letting go.
We must be extremely careful. Letting go may bring immediate relief, return you to your comfort zone and seem to be accepted, because many other people are doing it. However, the question you need to ask, as I ask myself every day, is do you want what most people have, or do you want something different for your life? You see, if you want something different then, with all of your strength, you need to resist your natural inclination, and, what many others are encouraging you to do, which is often, to let go. We may think that, if it’s too hard, we can find something easier. We may wrongly believe that, if it hurts, it’s not good for us. We are often convinced that if we don’t have a natural talent for something, we should try something else. If something is taking longer than we think, we may incorrectly judge our results too early. In all of these cases, letting go of what’s often most important is what then happens. I want to encourage you, in 2019, to be different to most, to resist the strong urge you may have, and to just keep hanging on to your dream, no matter what.
I was fortunate enough to meet an incredibly inspiring man during the week who is the absolute epitome of hanging on!! Paul O’Brien is the owner of a company called Leadership Matters, is about to release his first book, Peddle, Puddles and Potholes, and is currently living his purpose and making a difference in the lives of many people. As I was sitting with Paul, during the week, he was telling me about an extraordinary two year period he experienced about 10 years ago. In this period of time he was diagnosed with cancer, left a career after 26 years, separated from his partner and lost access to his step-children, lost his mother to cancer, had a hip replacement, started a business and, with a day’s notice, lost his business partner, was in financial crisis, and consequently suffered from anxiety and depression. That’s a challenging two years!!
I asked him, ‘Wow Paul, with all that adversity, what kept you hanging on?’ He explained that, the turning point for him was when he was cycling with friends and couldn’t keep up as they powered up a hill. He stopped at the bottom, got off his bike and just lay on the ground, just about ready to give up. He said, he didn’t want to die, but didn’t know how to live. A friend of his, came back and encouraged Paul to keep going up the hill. He said, after that ride, he thought about his life and decided that, if he was going to live, he wanted to live an amazing life. So, hanging to life by his fingernails, and with the belief and support of some great people, he started clawing his way back to life, one day at a time. Today he is living an amazing life, making a difference for many people and very grateful that he hung on when many would have let go. His book will be an inspiring read and is launching soon. If you want to get access to it, contact Paul through his website, click here.
Just one more day
I think why many people let go of the dream is because they look at its achievement as way off in the future. The task seems so big and so overwhelming that getting there may feel all too hard. As you are hanging onto a goal you’ve set, or a dream in your heart, remember the reality is that you don’t need to hold on for the whole year or a month or even a week, you just need to hold on for today. Any dream goal or aspiration is achieved one day at a time. Just hang on for today, then worry about tomorrow, when it becomes today, and so on. Paul explained this is exactly how he managed to pull himself through his misery, depression and to get himself to where he is today. He had to survive one day at a time, then grow one day at a time and finally thrive one day at a time.
So, my friend, if you’ve already let go, it’s not too late to grab on again. If you are just hanging on by your fingernails, grip a little a stronger. If you’re holding on tightly, start climbing. People will be letting go all around you and you will be tempted, at times, to do the same thing. I want to encourage you to resist, hold tighter and every day move towards your 2019 dreams and goals.
If you started a wellness, weight-loss or fitness regime and the novelty period has worn off, stay focused on why you want better health and wellbeing. Then, hold on for one more day to; doing 15-20 minutes of exercise, drinking more water, eating better foods and resisting temptation. You can do that for just today, right? If you have committed yourself to getting your book written and published this year and doubt has started entering your mind, hold on for just today. Do your writing, good or bad, visualise yourself holding that published book and imagine the feeling when it’s done. Do it today, then worry about tomorrow when tomorrow becomes today.
I have a financial goal this year, and when I think about it, I am overwhelmed. It would be easy to let go, but with the help of my money mentor, I am just focusing and hanging on to each and every day. All I need to do is worry about today, and, today I am working on bringing in more income and spending less. I can do that, today. Does restoring a broken relationship seem like a task too hard to hang on to? Can you just hang on today? Can you just make a call, send a message or write a card? Just for today hold on, and then worry about tomorrow, when it becomes today.
The reality is that life, success and goal achievement is not easy. If it were, we would all be happy, healthy, wealthy and free. The people who achieve the most, just hold on the longest. J.K Rowling, now the only billionaire author, held on for more than forty rejections from publishers. Colonel Sanders, the founder of the KFC empire, hung on when most would have let go and faced 1009 rejections to sell his chicken recipe. Today is just one day, you can hang on for today, right? Then when tomorrow arrives as today, you can hang on again. Then, just one day at a time, your 2019 goal will be achieved, and, you will look back proudly that you hung on while others around were letting go.
We are here, in 2019. Wow, can you believe it? Another year gone and a new one ahead. I want to encourage you to do something that maybe very different and very scary for you, as you head into 2019. I want to suggest that you believe more, expect more and dream more about what is possible for you this year. I want to ask that you let go of the past, the mistakes, the failures and the poor choices. I want to propose that you take the lid of your brain and… Think Big!
There is a good chance, you may have already switched off and decided this blog is not one to take too seriously. You may be already thinking that your circumstances are worse than most, and that thinking big is not an option for you. You could possibly be already thinking that you’ve tried thinking big before and not achieved even close to what you imagined. It is highly probable you are already thinking I am a lunatic and should take this blog and put it somewhere the sun doesn’t shine. What I truly hope you are already doing is thinking, ‘Sure, why not think big? Why not me, and why not this year?’
If I could wave a magic wand and you could have, be or do anything you want by the end of the year, what would you choose? Would you choose to have a published book, when you haven’t even started? Would you choose to be able to afford a deposit on a new home and the monthly repayments to cover it, when the bank account is currently empty? Would you choose to relocate to a new country when you have no job or support there? Would you choose a happy and blissful family situation, when currently it is in turmoil? Would you choose to lose over 30kg, be feeling amazing and off all medication, when you are obese, on the verge of a stroke and told you are on medication forever?
Remind me to tell you about Paul, ok? But, before I do I want to ask you this; depending on what seemingly unattainable or impossible wish you just thought of, what evidence do you actually have to prove you can’t achieve it without my magic wand? You could throw me a raft of excuses, justifications and past experiences that you believe are the obstacles to your achievement, but would they truly hold up in a court of law? I am guessing, if you are anything like me, they would not and you would be laughed out of the court room. So then, if there is no substantial evidence to prove beyond any shadow of doubt that you can’t achieve your big hairy and audacious goal, then it must be possible, right? If it is possible, would you be willing to get started on a day-by-day and step-by-step process to make it an exciting and massive reality? Do you know that it takes just as much effort to expect amazing success, as it does to expect disappointing mediocrity? I know which I would prefer, and I know what Paul preferred also.
Impossible really means… I’M Possible
Audrey Hepburn said, ‘Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!’ It can be very intimidating to be looking at; the top of a mountain and thinking about reaching it, a million dollars and thinking about owning it, a lean and healthy body when you have over 30kg to lose and many other aspirations which may seem impossible. Until you realise that; one step, one dollar, one gram and one day at a time, anything can be done, and as Audrey so rightly says, I’m possible, as are you!
Paul approached me early in 2018. He was at 125kg, on the verge of a stroke and on blood pressure and cholesterol medication he would be on forever, or so he was told. As he had watched another lady, I was working with shed unwanted fat, and look healthier, he said, ‘I’ll have what she’s having!’ I asked him what he wanted to achieve, and he was very nervous and cautious in his response. ‘I would love to get to 115kg, maybe 110kg and just feel a little better.’ I asked him what his ideal weight would be, if he believed anything was possible. He said, ‘I would love to get to 90kg, but there’s no way that could happen, so I would be happy with 115kg.’ You see, Paul had joined a gym and struggled, stretched and strained to get close to 115kg, but, was unable to maintain it. So, for him, anything better than that just didn’t seem possible.
I looked at him and said, ‘why don’t we aim to get you under 100kg?’ He looked at me like I was crazy. He didn’t, for one second, believe it was possible. ‘Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve been under 100kg?’ I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. All I knew was that, if he was open to follow a plan and focus one day, one step and one kilogram at a time, anything was possible. So, he just trusted me, and he committed himself. Well, he quickly got to 115kg and was feeling better. He still didn’t believe he would get under 100kg, so I just kept encouraging him to continue doing what he was doing. He did, and soon he was under 110kg, then 105kg and then the I’m possible happened, yes, in July 2018 he sent me a test message that he was at 99.2kg, So then I asked him, ‘how are you feeling about getting below 90kg now?’ he replied, ‘I believe it’s possible and that I should have been thinking bigger when I started.’
Well, just before Christmas, 2018, Paul was at 91kg and dropping. But the fact that he had lost over 30kg is not why this is such a cool story. He was told he would be on blood pressure and cholesterol medication forever, but after his doctor had seen what he had achieved, checked his bloods, he halved Paul’s blood pressure medication and took him totally off his cholesterol meds. But that’s still not the best part of the story. The most satisfying part for me, and incredible for Paul, is that he can now do things with his grandchildren that he could never do. He achieved massive results and he even he surprised himself, simply by trusting, committing and taking it one day at a time.
Paul could have been thinking much bigger than he was, I can be thinking much bigger than I probably am and you definitely can be thinking bigger than you currently are. You see, incredible achievement in 2019, will not be about how much you can try to do in the first two weeks of the year. It will be very much about what you can focus on, commit to and build on, one day at a time. You are at the start of the year, and, have many days to go. So, think big now, set yourself a hairy and audacious goal, find a coach, mentor or partner and then get started and don’t give up until it’s a reality. Make 2019 the year that you, not only achieve great things, but you build the belief in yourself that thinking big is just what you do. Have an incredible 2019.
